Dispensing device

Abstract

A device for batch dispensing granular material such as instant coffee and comprising a bottom portion ( 62 ) adapted for being screwed unto the neck of a container of granular material and a top portion ( 63 ) fixedly attached to the bottom portion with a disc portion ( 61 ) rotatably arranged therebetween, the bottom portion having a plate portion ( 64 ) with an aperture for allowing granular material to flow from said container into a passage ( 72 ) in said disc portion ( 61 ) when said disc portion ( 61 ) is in a first rotational position, and the top portion ( 63 ) having a plate portion ( 65 ) with an aperture for allowing granular material in said passage ( 72 ) to be dispensed to for instance a cup for preparing instant coffee when said disc portion ( 61 ) is in a second rotational position.

1 . A combination of a dispensing device for batch dispensing granular material such as ground coffee, freeze-dried instant coffee or tea, sugar, detergent powder and the like and a hand-held container for the granular product having a top portion and a bottom portion, said container being manually rotatable from an upright position with said top portion located above said bottom portion and an inverted position with said top portion located below said bottom portion, the device and container comprising cooperating attachment means for allowing integral or releasable attachment of the device at or adjacent said top portion of said container, the device further comprising a body having or together with said container defining a passage extending in a material flow direction from a material inlet for allowing granular material to enter said passage from said container to a material outlet for allowing granular material to exit from said passage, an overflow or barrier chamber being defined in said passage between said material inlet and said material outlet by means of an inlet barrier wall and an outlet barrier wall extending transversely to said material flow direction, said inlet barrier wall defining an inlet barrier aperture configured and located so as to allow material to flow into said barrier chamber in said flow direction when said container is in said inverted position and to hinder said material in flowing out of said barrier chamber opposite said flow direction when said container is in said upright position, and said outlet barrier wall defining an outlet barrier aperture configured and located so as to allow material to flow out of said barrier chamber in said flow direction when said container is in said upright position and to hinder said material in flowing out of said barrier chamber in said flow direction when said container is in said inverted position.  
   
   
       2 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said passage extends in said material flow direction between and along two opposed side walls, a top wall and a bottom wall past said inlet and outlet barrier wall extending transversely to said flow direction from one side wall to the other side wall, said inlet barrier wall extending from said bottom wall part way across said passage towards said top wall such that said inlet barrier aperture is defined between the free edge of said inlet barrier wall and said top wall, and said outlet barrier wall extending from said top wall part way across said passage towards said bottom wall such that said outlet barrier aperture is defined between the free edge of said outlet barrier wall and said bottom wall.  
   
   
       3 . A combination according to  claim 2 , wherein said free edge of said outer barrier wall is provided with an indentation.  
   
   
       4 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein the said attachment means are adapted for hermetically sealing the interface between said container and said dispensing device.  
   
   
       5 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein a closure means is provided for closing said material outlet.  
   
   
       6 . A combination according to  claim 5 , wherein said closure means is provided with sealing means for cooperating with corresponding sealing means of said material outlet for hermetically sealing said material outlet.  
   
   
       7 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said material outlet has an oval or elliptical shape.  
   
   
       8 . A combination according to  claim 5 , wherein said closure means is a lid hingedly connected to said dispensing device.  
   
   
       9 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said container is a standard jar having a circular cylindrical neck portion provided with screw threads, and said body has a circular cylindrical body portion matching said neck portion and provided with engagement means for engaging said screw threads for screwing said device on to said neck portion.  
   
   
       10 . A combination according to  claim 9 , wherein a sealing gasket is provided between said neck portion and said body portion.  
   
   
       11 . A combination according to  claim 9 , wherein said bottom wall is constituted by a separate plate of resilient material such as plastic foam abutting an annular shoulder of said body portion along the periphery of said plate such that said periphery is clamped between the rim of said neck portion and said shoulder when the dispensing device is screwed on said neck portion.  
   
   
       12 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said container is a standard jar having a neck portion with a mouth, and said body has a shape matching the interior surface of said neck portion such that said body may be inserted inside said neck portion through said mouth.  
   
   
       13 . A combination according to  claim 12 , wherein said body is provided with fixating means for fixating said body inside said neck portion.  
   
   
       14 . A combination according to  claim 13 , wherein the material of said body is chosen such relative to the material of said neck portion that fixation of said body portion inside said neck portion is achieved by friction between said body and said neck portion.  
   
   
       15 . A combination according to  claim 14 , wherein said neck portion is of glass and the material of said body consists of approx. 80% PIP and approx. 20% SEBS.  
   
   
       16 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said mouth is covered by a sheet of foil adhered to the rim of said mouth.  
   
   
       17 . A combination according to  claim 1 , wherein said container is a box made of cardboard, rigid plastic plate material or the like.  
   
   
       18 . A combination according to  claim 17 , wherein said dispensing device is made of cardboard.  
   
   
       19 . A combination according to  claim 17 , wherein said dispensing device is made of a rigid plastic plate material or the like.  
   
   
       20 . A combination according to  claim 17 , wherein said box is provided with a recess cut out of the walls thereof at said top portion and adapted for receiving said dispensing device.  
   
   
       21 . A dispensing device for batch dispensing granular material such as ground coffee, freeze-dried instant coffee, sugar, detergent powder and the like from a hand-held container and comprising a body having a passage extending in a material flow direction from a material inlet opening to a material outlet opening and between and along two side wails, a top wall and a bottom wall past a first and a second transverse wall extending transversely to said flow direction from one side wall to the other side wall, said first transverse wall having a material inlet aperture located closer to said top wall than to said bottom wall and said second transverse wall having a material outlet aperture located closer to said bottom wall than to said top wall.  
   
   
       22 . A dispensing device according to  claim 21 , wherein said first transverse wall extends from said bottom wall part way across said passage towards said top wall such that said material inlet aperture is defined between the free edge of said first transverse wall and said top wall, and said second transverse wall extending from said top wall part way across said passage towards said bottom wall such that said material outlet aperture is defined between the free edge of said second transverse wall and said bottom wall.  
   
   
       23 . A dispensing device according to  claim 22 , wherein free edge of said second transverse wall is provided with an indentation.  
   
   
       24 . A dispensing device according to  claim 21 , wherein a closure means is provided for closing said material outlet opening.  
   
   
       25 . A dispensing device according to  claim 24 , wherein said closure means is provided with sealing means for cooperating with corresponding sealing means of said material outlet for hermetically sealing said material outlet opening.  
   
   
       26 . A dispensing device according to  claim 21 , wherein said material outlet opening has an oval or elliptical shape.  
   
   
       27 . A dispensing device according to  claim 24 , wherein said closure means is a lid hingedly connected to said dispensing device.  
   
   
       28 . A dispensing device according to  claim 27 , wherein said lid on one surface thereof is provided with a resilient sealing gasket for sealingly engaging the edge of said material outlet opening.  
   
   
       29 . A dispensing device according to  claim 21 , wherein said bottom wall is provided with said material inlet opening.  
   
   
       30 . A dispensing device according to  claim 21 , wherein said top wall is provided with said material inlet opening aperture.  
   
   
       31 . A dispensing device according  claim 21 , wherein said top wall is constituted by a separate plate of resilient material such as plastic foam abutting a shoulder of said body along the periphery of said plate.  
   
   
       32 . A dispensing device according to  claim 21 , wherein said top wall is removed such that the resulting free edges of said two side walls and said second transverse wall may be attached to the interior surface of a wall of a container.  
   
   
       33 . A dispensing device according to  claim 21 , wherein the material of said body consists of approx. 80% PP and approx. 20% SEBS.  
   
   
       34 . A combination of a dispensing device according to  claim 21  and a hand-held container for said granular product having a top portion and a bottom portion, said container being manually rotatable from an upright position with said top portion located above said bottom portion and an inverted position with said top portion located below said bottom portion, the device and container comprising cooperating attachment means for allowing integral or releasable attachment of the device at or adjacent said top portion of said container.